


Wabi-sabi

by yushez



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Romance, don't look for a plot, mild swears, pokeshipping - Freeform, there is none
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28009491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yushez/pseuds/yushez
Summary: "Wabi-sabi" or the notion of imperfect beauty is all that comes to mind when one wants to write or talk about Ash and Misty, their lives, apart from and together, with each other. [A collection of drabbles updated on a whimsical schedule, proceed with caution]
Relationships: Kasumi | Misty/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A collection of some drabbles I wrote through the pandemic for Ash and Misty by using random prompt/dialogue generators, being posted here now in honour of Pokeshipping Day on Twitter! Thank you for reading, leave a comment if you can.

1.“I don’t really think before I act. It’s part of my charm.”

It was his fault, as always.

Misty racked her brain and tried to remember a time when they hadn’t ended up in a tricky situation because of him and she came up with nothing. It was definitely his fault that they were handcuffed together and thrown under the deck of a dingy ship that reeked of suspicion from miles away. It was all his fault, and yet next to her Ash Ketchum was peacefully snoring away, with his head resting on her shoulders as if that was the most natural thing to do after being abducted in a foreign land on their first date.

“Ash wake the fuck up or I will bite you so hard.” It was barely a whisper, and yet he instantly sat up, chocolate eyes opening wide at the sound of her voice.

“Arceus Mist, this is not the time and place to do you-know-what,” Ash turned to stare at her in surprise, and even in the darkness the redhead could make out the incredulous look on his face and once she understood the meaning behind his statement, she thought she’d let out a frustrated scream so loud, the ship would crumble under its force.

“For Mew’s sake Ash I will-“

They heard loud, banging footsteps above deck and unanimously decided to go quiet, listening intently for any sound or clues that may help them get off the ship. After a few minutes passed and there was no other sound or movement, the couple relaxed themselves dejectedly.

“Really Ash what were you thinking, buying tickets for a cruise from a total stranger?” Misty whispered heatedly, resisting the urge to nudge the raven haired boy in his ribs.

“I don’t really think. It’s part of my charm,” Ash passed her a savvy smile and when it didn’t lighten her mood as he was expecting it too, he shook his head and tried again, “look the guy said that I’ll never be able to get romantic cruise tickets at such a throwaway price in this region so I kind of just bought them at a whim.”

“And which region are we in Master Ketchum?” The pleasure Misty derived from using his new title to mock him occasionally, was still unparalleled.

“I’m not really sure…” Ash gulped in reply, he was already preparing himself for getting dumped after just one date. He could almost picture the scandalous headlines, ‘Ash Ketchum; Master in Pokemon Battles, but a failure of a Boyfriend?’

“That’s just great, and you even made us leave all the Pokemon back home!” Misty cried out as quietly as she could, which was not quietly at all.

“Well did you really want Pikachu to be around on our first date?” Ash countered her angrily.

“At this point, I would love to go on a date with Pikachu instead.”

Ash pouted in response to her statement, and though this was not the time to think about such things, Misty couldn’t help but notice that even at 20, his face had managed to retain all the boyish cuteness from his pre-teen years and it still slightly made her heart beat faster.

“I can get us out of here just fine.” Ash muttered after a few minutes, still a bit disappointed by her statement.

“I’m sure that’s what you were planning to do once you finished your nap.” Misty rolled her eyes at his proclamation.

“So you do get it,” Ash’s face lit up at her response, the wide smile forming on it faltered as he added on an afterthought, “why did you wake me then?”

“Just for a second, try to imagine how I would feel in this situation, if you were sitting next to me taking a nap.” Misty snapped back at him.

“Well you’d feel better if you took a nap too.”

“I’ll feel better after kicking you in the groin too, guess which one is faster?”

“Holy Moltress, is that how you talk to all your boyfriends on first dates?”

She hoped that the boy next to her would not be able to see the redness that was all over her face now. It was silly, Misty told herself, to still get embarrassed like a schoolgirl at the thought of Ash being her boyfriend. When she quipped back a retort, it was more to make herself feel less embarrassed than to get on his nerves.

“Only the ones that get me abducted in an unknown region.”

Ash stopped fidgeting with the cuffs and ropes and immediately locked eyes with her, for the first time in many years Misty saw hesitation and doubt swirl through his chocolate eyes.

“You’ve had other boyfriends?” He asked solemnly, the disappointment in his voice was hard to miss but, the champion managed to maintain her gaze nevertheless.

“What? No. I was just playing along with you!” Misty blurted out immediately, she hated seeing him look so dejected and doubtful, especially because of her. She reminded herself that they weren’t just friends anymore and she should be careful with her words from now on.

“Thank Mew,” Ash breathed a sigh of relief, and relaxed his body that had become so tense just a few moments ago, “for a second I was worried I was the only virgin.”

All restraint and rationality went out of the windows as Misty nudged her boyfriend in the ribs, flushing from head to toe at his statement.

Ash winced at the action but managed to not cry out. They spent the next few minutes in silence, Misty seething with rage and embarrassment on one side and Ash, having forgotten the conversation already, looking for an escape route on the other.

“Let’s just kick a hole into the floor and swim out,” he sighed tiredly, suddenly breaking their silence.

“The ship will drown you idiot.” Misty replied flatly, still keeping her back towards him.

“So? I’m sure their Pokemon will help them out.” Ash stated, somehow gaining confidence in his plan, he started to closely observe the wooden floor they were currently perched on, looking for a spot that he could easily punch his way through.

“What if they don’t have a single water type on them?” Misty turned towards him to protest the idea again and rolled her eyes over his determined search for the perfect spot to smash.

“Mist, if we keep bringing our conscience into it, we’ll never make it out of here.”

“What happened to the ten year old Ash Ketchum that I fished out of the lake?”

“He decided to grow a pair.”

“I’m gonna have to see those for myself to actually believe this statement.”

Once again, she was taken over by the flow of their usual banter and replied without thinking, regretting it as soon as the words left her mouth and settled in the air. Ash stopped his search and looked up at her, meeting her eyes with an incredulous look, slowly his lips started to curl upwards into a smirk and Misty couldn’t help but groan loudly at his reaction. He was never going to let her forget this statement.

“Well Mist, I promise you can look at them all you like after I get us out of here-“

“JUST STOP IT ALREADY!”

The door leading to the upper deck opened suddenly and the man who had thrown them inside appeared, his face pulsing with rage and frustration, and much to the couple’s surprise, there were tears streaming down his burly face.

“We kidnapped you two, to brainwash you into joining Team Rainbow Rocket and you have the audacity to sit handcuffed on our ship and flirt with each other?

Do you realize the dangerous situation you are in? Is this really the time to flirt with each other and show off how lovey-dovey you are? Do you know how hard it is to fall in love and get married when you’re working for an evil organization?

Just leave! We don’t need lovebirds like you in our team!”

As the man kept bellowing at them and managing to somehow sob at the same time, he came forward and unlocked their handcuffs and untied the ropes and then dragged the two back to the upper deck.

Ash and Misty were stunned into silence, with a deep blush covering both their faces, they followed the lead of their abductor without a question.

The ship was still docked at the pier they had been taken from and now were ushered back into within hours. As soon as they were off the ship, it set off into the horizon, their kidnapper’s loud sobs becoming fainter with every wave colliding with the shore. After a while of just standing and staring after the ship, Misty turned to face Ash and was relieved to see that he still looked as dazed and confused as she felt.

“As the Champion, don’t you have a duty to apprehend any and all criminal organization members?” She asked him, relieved about escaping their captor but worried if this will cause a dent in Ash’s career.

“Well, it looked like he was having a bad day. So I think I’ll let him go for today,” Ash replied, frowning slightly at his own words. He shook his head suddenly and Misty passed him a small smile, knowing that he was trying to make sense of the situation just like her. When he locked eyes with her again, a mischievous grin was set on his face, the kind that made Misty feel heated and made her heart race at twice the speed.

“Should we head back the hotel to finish our conversation?”

_Fin._


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “A scene you’d love to see”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ash inviting Misty to the Pasio, or just to generally travel with him again is one thing that I've been hcing a lot since the Alola cameo so this is a rough telling of how I want it to go down. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and leave a comment if you can!

2.A Scene you'd love to see

It was on a whim that right after they finished breakfast, he took her hand and led her out of the house, humming a happy tune and not bothering to say anything.

Misty had known Ash for long enough to know what was on his mind without him having to put it in words, but today she drew a blank. They had stayed up all night playing charades with Pikachu, whose impersonation skills could give most Dittos a run for their money. All the laughing and cheering and teasing had energised Ash to the point where he would not let Misty say no to a battle, and reluctantly the redhead had engaged him in a friendly match with Psyduck going up against Pikachu. She had tried very hard to keep her voice down and tried even harder to make him keep his voice down but things rarely ever went according to plan when it came to Ash Ketchum, and eventually the battle concluded with Delia dragging the two by their ears into bed even as Misty feebly protested that it had all been Ash’s idea.

So naturally, after an hour of just walking and humming and occasionally stopping to interact with the wild Pokemon, Misty began to worry about Ash’s strange behaviour. The raven haired trainer had boisterously claimed on multiple occasions that he needed at least ten hours of sleep to function normally, and last night had definitely not given him that. Misty however, shamefully admitted to herself that if being sleep deprived resulted in Ash being quiet, she wouldn’t mind it at all once in a while. As she continued to contemplate and debate her best friend’s peculiar behaviour, she failed to notice that they were already deep into the forest right outside of Pallet, even though they had only been out and about for an hour.

“Let’s rest for a while,” Ash’s raspy voice tore her from her thoughts and she looked at him quizzically. Ash responded with a casual shrug, sitting himself down on the ground without a care about getting his clothes dirty. Pikachu leapt from his shoulder and sniffed around for a while before returning to snuggle comfortably in his trainer’s lap.

The scene in front of her sent a jolt of nostalgia rushing through her veins, and she strangely found comfort in the fact that Ash was still as carefree as when she had first met him.

“Aren’t you going to sit, you must be tired?” Ash asked her, brows furrowing in confusion as het met her gaze.

“I am, but there’s mud and dirt-“ but before she could finish, or even begin to lecture him, he burst out laughing.

“Mist, we used to sleep in this dirt and mud.” He managed to speak, in between the laughter.

“Used to, being the key word. And I haven’t done that in a long time so I’m feeling uncomfortable.” Misty replied, although what she found even more uncomfortable was not knowing where he was taking her but she was yet to find an opening to phrase her concerns.

“I know.” He smiled up at her, not a goofy grin or a smirk, a small smile which she hadn’t been at the receiving end of for so long, that it instantly made her heart skip a beat. He didn’t add anything more to his reply, just picked up Pikachu from his lap and stood up. Once he had dusted his clothes off and Pikachu was once again settled on his shoulder, he started ahead once again, “Let’s keep moving then.” He finally said, not looking back at her.

Misty once again followed him quietly, not questioning where exactly they were moving to. The route seemed a bit familiar to her and she recalled that eventually the path would join with the route leading to Cerulean and Pewter city. But all her visits to Pallet in the recent times had been through a bus or the train and it annoyed her slightly that Ash was now better at remembering forest paths and Routes than her. Earlier they had been walking side by side, but now she was a few steps behind him and the more she surveyed his back, the more she noticed how wide it had grown. He was no longer the scruffy child that she had fished out of a lake. She had grown fond of the scruffiness however, and the confidence that always laced his eyes. But looking at his back she realised that the confidence now emanated from every inch of his being and there was no doubt, that her fondness of it had blossomed into love.

Love, Misty admitted, was the reason why she was still blindly following him deeper into the forest, even though it was almost time for lunch and Delia would probably have their heads when they got back, for venturing out without informing anyone.

Love was also the reason Misty felt that her heart would beat right out of her chest the minute Ash came to a halt in front of her and turned to face her with a grin as bright as thousand suns.

Love was the reason, tears welled up in her eyes as she realised where they were.

The clearing.

The lake with its strong, rushing current.

“I found it hard to believe when Tracey told me that he and Daisy had decided to move in together at the Cerulean Gym,” Ash started, grin still intact and eyes glittering mischievously, “I mean I fear for his well-being, but hey another door opens when one closes right?”

Misty opened her mouth to answer but there was a lump stuck in her throat. Things had gotten increasingly confusing from the moment Ash had grabbed her hand in the morning and she was yet to grasp what he was trying to convey to her.

“I guess it’ll be a bit difficult to convince you without a wrecked bike.” Ash laughed at her dumbstruck expression and under normal circumstances Misty would have smacked him for that, but they were very far from normal right now and Ash was making sure of that with each word that he uttered.

“I don’t understand…” Misty began with the truth, she thought he would interrupt her again but he was watching her quietly, giving her time to collect her thoughts, “Are you sure you want it to be me?” She knew how far Ash had travelled, how many strong trainers he had met and befriended, how strong he himself had become, which is why she couldn’t fathom the thought of him picking her.

“Someone reminded me recently, that I need to start from the beginning.” Ash smiled that strange smile again, making her heart flutter. She was surprised to see a tinge of red creep up into his cheeks as he scratched his head and averted his gaze before continuing, his face telling her that he was trying to find the right words but seemed a bit embarrassed by the options available to him.

So they stood there silently for a while as Misty tried to tame the butterfrees in her stomach and Ash fidgeted and struggled to put his feelings into words.

Finally, Pikachu sighed, tired of the humans and their dawdling, and nudged his trainer’s cheek with his nose, jumping down from Ash’s shoulder the rodent positioned itself between the two nervous trainers and passed them each an expectant look. Motivated a little by his partner’s actions, Ash cleared his throat loudly, meeting Misty’s cerulean eyes with whatever confidence he could muster up and finish what he had started.

“And well, _you_ are my beginning.”

She covered the distance between them within a second, enveloping Ash in the tightest hug possible. He resisted it in the beginning with claims of not being able to breathe, but she wasn’t planning to let go, because that would mean showing him the tears she couldn’t hold back any longer. And as soon he felt the wetness on his shirt, he stopped struggling under her hold and returned the hug by wrapping his arms around her slowly.

In the past few years Misty hadn’t even dared to dream about setting off on a journey again, she missed it dearly, but she also wanted to keep her sense of responsibility in place, as that is what set her apart from her sisters. She always joked with her Pokemon about it, how the only way she would go back to travelling was if Ash personally invited her.

And now here they were. Standing at the place where they had first locked eyes with each other.

And Ash had told her she was his beginning.

And it wasn’t a dream.

And as much as she wanted to tell him that how grateful she was for him, she realised that there was no need for any words between them anymore.

Because Ash had said everything they would ever need to say to each other.

~

Later as they made their way back, quietly dreading the punishment Delia would unleash upon them, Misty’s curiosity got the better of her and she posed the question that had been dancing around her mind since noon.

“Ash, you didn’t tell me where you’re planning to take me.”

He met her inquisitive look with his trademark grin, chocolate eyes sparkling with excitement as he answered her.

_“The Pasio.”_

_Fin._


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: A hug after not seeing someone for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is something I wrote up as quickly as I could, I apologize if it's abrupt and random! Hope you enjoy reading it, and leave a comment if you can!

3.A hug after not seeing someone for a long time.

A few people around him turned their heads as they passed by and Ash felt himself go red from head to toe as he stood with his arms still stretching wide, it wasn’t everyday that the Master Champion was spotted standing like a scarecrow in the middle of an airport in Kanto. He had been doing so in hopes that his girlfriend who had come to pick him up would be jumping into his arms, but instead she had chosen to cuddle with his Pikachu, leaving him standing like a fool and earning odd looks from passer-bys. Ash finally, dejectedly lowered his arms and glared at the scene unfolding in front of him, as always Pikachu had leapt into her embrace the minute he had spotted her bright, carrot coloured hair in the crowd and Misty, as always, was cuddling with him and cooing at him, the sight and sound of which was now driving Ash crazy. He should’ve been used to this, he reprimanded himself internally, his mom used to do this to him every time he returned home after a long absence, but unfortunately for Ash, it seemed that there are things he could never get used to despite having been trained for it at an early age.

“ _What about me?”_ Ash made no effort to hide the whine in his tone as he pouted at the cuddling duo in front of him.

Misty stopped scratching Pikachu’s ear and looked up at him, utterly amused by his outburst, she smiled cheekily at him before replying, “Oh hey Ash, good to see you too.”

“That’s it?” Ash retorted, his jaw dropping open with shock and disappointment, his voice a little louder than it should be when he continued, “That’s it? Just ‘Hey Ash, good to see you’? I’ve been gone for _months_!”

He realized the minute those words left his mouth, that he had managed to step on a landmine within minutes of his arrival. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but it felt as if the temperature in the air dropped considerably as Misty’s face hardened and her smile started to turn steelier by the second. Pikachu must’ve sensed the tension in the air, smoothly making his way out of Misty’s grasp, Pikachu hopped back onto Ash’s shoulder, settling there comfortably. Ash relaxed slightly, Pikachu’s presence had always been a source of comfort and stability for him, not to mention he was sure he looked more appealing and cuter with his buddy perched on his shoulder and Misty would be less inclined to send murderous glares his way.

_“Exactly.”_ Misty replied through gritted teeth, fixing her hands on her hips she drew in a deep breath before starting again, “You’ve been gone for 3 months and 11 days, _yes Ash I counted_ , without a single phone call. Your letters always arrived late and were always either half burnt or soggy with liquids I couldn’t recognize, and they never contained any information about your well-being. Do you really think that after not seeing your face for more than one month I’d be more interested in knowing you found a new type of berry over whether you were doing okay, sleeping well and eating on time?”

Ash had unknowingly taken a few steps back and when Misty finally paused to catch her breath, managing to maintain her death glare on him still, he opened his mouth to respond but somehow he couldn’t think of anything to say. Guilt washed over him as he realized how things that seemed to make little difference to him were a cause for such discomfort for Misty.

“I know how important travelling and discovering new regions is for you, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t, but just occasionally Ash I’d wish you’d put yourself in the shoes of the people who’re waiting for you at home.” Misty finally dropped her gaze, lifting her hands from her hips and crossing them across her chest, her voice had gotten softer and each word she said had made Ash feel like he was getting stabbed in the chest.

As a child he’d thought he’d understand these things and be better at them once he grew up, but it was as if he had gotten progressively worse at it. It was never his intention to hurt Misty, or even his mother or any of his other friends, but Ash had always lived in the moment, and he found it very difficult to come out of it and take his surroundings into consideration. Keeping constantly in touch was something that required him to pause from the natural flow his adventures usually took and disrupting it was something Ash had always been very stubbornly against doing.

However, looking at Misty now, with dark circles under her eyes, her face and body emanating tiredness, a simple question popped into Ash’s head, how would he feel, now that he was aware of his romantic feelings for her, if she disappeared to faraway regions for months without a word?

Instantly he thought, he’d get on Charizard and fly to wherever she was if she didn’t answer his calls and the picture became clearer to him.

“Im sorry Mist, I really am.” Ash moved forward again and she looked up at him, “This is the last time that I behave like this, I promise I’ll do better next time-”

Before he could even finish speaking, Misty’s arms found their way around his neck, Ash stumbled for a second before wrapping his own around her waist and pulling her closer into him. Misty rested her head on his free shoulder and he heard her sigh contently, which brought a smile to his own face, as relief spread through his body. He tightened his grip on her waist with one hand and lifted the other one to pat her head gently. This moment, was what he had imagined over and over while making his way back home, Pikachu settled comfortably on one shoulder and Misty in his arms, and now that it had finally happened, Ash realized that never had he felt so complete in his life before.

The guilt of making the person he loved suffer because of his actions was still very much present, but he decided once more to live in the moment, to devote himself to this embrace for now and think about his mistakes later. 

“This doesn’t mean you’re forgiven.” Misty murmured wistfully into his shoulder, “Prepare yourself for the worst homecoming you’ve ever had, Ash Ketchum.”

Ash chuckled in reply, deducing from her tone that on the contrary, he was indeed already forgiven. His hand moved on from patting her head to caressing her hair, he tilted his own head and rested it besides hers, letting his fingers run across the nape of her neck slowly, enjoying every moment of being able to touch her again, feel her again. Misty shuddered against his touch and her grip around his neck tightened, Ash couldn’t help but smirk at when an almost inaudible whimper escaped her lips.

“I don’t think I can ever be prepared when it comes to you Misty, but to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

_Fin._


End file.
